An Avengers Thanksgiving
by Little Lightning Bug
Summary: Sam is done with this whole "let's-not'talk-to-each-other" charade. For one, it's not healthy for any of them. No, Thanksgivings are meant for people to come together and be thankful for it. So he's making a plan to get the whole team together for Thanksgiving. Will he be able to pull it off, or will chaos ensue? Probably both. (Kinda fluffy, just for fun). One-Shot, Post!CA:CW


An Avengers Thanksgiving

One-Shot

"Dude, you can't just _skip_ Thanksgiving and stay holed up here in this lab," Sam said indignantly.

"And why not?" Tony retorted without looking up from his work. Sam looked at him like he had lost his mind (and it's Tony, so perhaps he had).

"Because it's _Thanksgiving!_ The one time a year when you get to stuff yourself with food without being judged by your family and friends." Tony set a small screwdriver he had in his hand down and gave Sam a pointed look.

"I do that anyway," he said simply. Sam frowned, exasperated. What was his _deal?_ Tony picked the screwdriver back up and slid glasses further up his nose.

"Do you have some deep-rooted hatred for Thanksgiving or something? C'mon, man. The whole team is having dinner together." This made Tony pause.

"Everyone?" Sam resisted the urge to squirm. Okay, so _maybe_ he hadn't asked anyone else yet. But come on, they were celebrating the holiday together, old grudges or not.

"Yes," he lied. "Everyone." Tony sighed and studied the tool in his hand.

"Fine," he finally said. "But the minute someone makes a dig or a hostile remark, I'm out."

"Deal." One down, thirteen to go.

* * *

"Sam! How wonderful to see you! Is everything alright?" Leaning on the door entrance, Laura Barton gave him a beaming smile, tinged with concern. Sam absolutely loved visiting the Barton's.

"Yeah, everything's doing pretty fine, considering all that's happened." Laura agreed with another easy smile.

"That's quite true. Well, come in, come in!" She led him into the kitchen, and sat him down. "I'll go grab the boys." With that, Laura disappeared out of the room.

"Uncle Sam?" Sam couldn't help but smile at the nickname and the tiny girl entering the room.

"Hey, Lila. How's it going?" She shrugged.

"Good. Cooper got in trouble today." He feigned astonishment.

"No! Really?" Lila nodded solemnly, in the serious way kids do that always takes an effort not to laugh at.

"Yep. He took Daddy's bow and almost shot a window." Sam could feel his handle on his laughter slipping and snorted.

"What'd I do?" asked Clint, walking through the door. Steve followed closely behind.

"Hey, man," Sam said to Steve with a small smile, then turned to Clint. "Ah, your kid was just telling me about Cooper's archery adventures." Clint chuckled at the confession as Laura walked in.

"Ah yeah, he's definitely going to take after his father in that area," Laura said. Steve smiled a bit, seeming to try and fade into the background. Sam sighed. It had been tougher than Sam had expected for Steve to see Bucky go back into cryo. Sam had watched his friend sink back into grey, into the same sadness that had consumed him before everything happened. Sam had hoped the other Avengers would help, but with Tony being in a similar state, Rhodes trying to help Tony, and the other Avengers in and out, it was left to him to help. Laura and Clint had offered to let him stay with them for a while, see how a different lifestyle treated him. The argument that had went down had been nasty, with Steve not wanting to leave Bucky (even if he was asleep), and Sam insisting that Bucky would have wanted him to have a life outside of wandering the compound and flying back and forth to Wakanda. Heck, Sam had almost woken the soldier up from sleep to get Steve to agree.

"So, what's up? Just a social visit or what?" Clint asked good-naturedly. "Because if it's social, I have a backyard that needs mowed." Sam snorted and shook his head.

"Nah, get Steve to do that." A smile cracked through Steve's mask and he shook his head.

"The man has already been running me ragged," he said jokingly. "That lawn's been mowed twice a week, and it hasn't been by Clint." An indignant "Hey!" came from Clint and Laura chuckled.

"Anyway, I thought I'd stop by to ask what you guys are doing for Thanksgiving. Got any plans?" Clint glanced at Laura and she shrugged.

"I mean, I was thinking we'd just do the typical turkey here, but we're open to other options." Clint nodded in agreement and Steve shrugged.

"I was going to visit Wakanda, maybe check up on T'Challa." Nobody needed to add the unspoken words "and Bucky." Laura shook her head vehemently.

"No way, Steve. I mean, if you really want to, go for it. But we've got a home-cooked meal and an extra seat if you want it." Clint nodded in agreement, so Sam decided to interject.

"Actually, I was thinking we could try to have a team Thanksgiving. Maybe at the compound, or someplace big enough to fit us all." Clint raised his eyebrows and considered the proposal.

"Hmm, that might be nice," he said slowly. "Might be interesting, too," he added, glancing quickly over at Steve fast enough for him not to notice. Sam caught the glance and nodded.

"Tony's already agreed to it. I assume that would mean Rhodes will be in, too." Clint raised an eyebrow.

"Really? How'd you manage that?" Sam shrugged, trying to keep his composure.

"I might have told him everyone already said yes to the invitation. Maybe." Clint looked impressed and clapped him on the back.

"Wow, man. Didn't know you had that in you." Sam rolled his eyes and gave Steve a "help-me" look.

"Well, I guess I'm in, then," Steve said cautiously, already imagining the arguments that would break out. Laura's eyes widened and she tugged on Clint's arm.

"Oh! What do you think about having it here? It's large enough, and if the weather's nice, we could set up outside." Clint considered it for a moment and shrugged.

"Sure, I don't see why not," he concluded. "And honey, we haven't had nice weather in November for years." She rolled her eyes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Fine, fine. Alright, Sam, I should probably go find Cooper before he gets into more trouble." A crash sounded from the backyard and she winced. "Speak of the devil," she muttered and gave Sam a quick hug. "Safe travels home!" A few seconds later, the yelling of Cooper and scolding from Laura floated in from the backyard. Clint chuckled and shook his head.

"That kid's a piece of work," he said with exasperated fondness. Steve nodded in mocking agreement and went over to give Sam a hug.

"Nice to see you, Sam. It's been a while." Sam snorted.

"Like a week? We literally did a mission together last week, man." Color flushed the captain's face at the statement.

"Oh yeah. Forgot there for a second," he said blandly. Sam mentally sighed. He was ninety nine percent sure every single one of the Avengers had some sort of mental issue or form of PTSD, but did anyone listen to him, the trained therapist? Of course not. Steve shuffled uncertainly. All the confidence and leadership skills Captain America showed in the field were completely different from Steve Rogers. Steve was one of the most awkward people Sam had ever met. "I'm flying to Wakanda again, in about two weeks, if you want to join me," he offered. Sam nodded without hesitation.

"Of course, man. Just let me know what time and I'll be there." Steve smiled and excused himself. Clint watched him go sadly, the same expression etched in Sam's face as well.

"It'll be good for him to be around everyone, again," Clint decided and Sam nodded.

"Yeah. How's he doing, out here on the farm?" Clint shrugged.

"I think he likes it. He's quiet, does his work. Definitely not the laughing, joking type we had for a while there." A moment of silence passed as Sam recalled the memories he had as well.

"Do you think it's the right decision, having him stay out here, then?" Sam asked. As far as the well being of fellow team members, Clint was the one that Sam trusted the most. Clint sighed.

"Wish I knew. He's free to leave at any point. I mean, he could stay somewhere else if he wanted to." Clint looked Sam square in the eyes. "And I don't care whether you're a licensed therapist or not, Laura and I aren't kicking him out as long as he wants to stay." Sam put his hands up in a surrender position.

"Trust me, I wouldn't ask that of you." Sam sighed, mentally counting off the rest of the team members he had to convince. "You wouldn't happen to know where I could find Natasha, would you?"

* * *

"One skinny vanilla latte, soy milk, two shots of espresso?" The busy ambiance of the coffee shop filled Sam's ears. He scanned the room, eyebrows shooting up in surprise when he found her. He quickly got in line and tapped his foot impatiently. Once he got through to the front of the line, he cleared his throat. Natasha was looking down at the register (though Sam was sure she had spotted him already with a third eye on the back of her head or something). A shiny nameplate titled _Holly_ was pinned to the green apron she sported.

"I'll have the most complicated drink you have," he said and she glanced up at the odd request. To her credit, she didn't even blink in surprise.

"Alright, what name should I put it under?" she asked coyly, raising an eyebrow. He snorted, and then reminded himself to act natural. He would be really mad if he blew her cover (and she would be too).

"Sam, please." A quick nod and she waved him to the side.

"I can take the next customer here," Natasha (or Holly, currently) called out. The next person stepped in line as Sam watched. She filled her role with ease; you could never tell there was actually a master assassin taking your coffee order. Sam sighed and looked down at his phone, wondering how long it was going to take. His messages beeped and he opened the text.

"Almost finished," it read, from an unknown phone number. Sam resisted the urge to glance over her way and simply nodded, knowing she'd see.

"Venti, half whole-milk, one quarter one-percent milk, one quarter non-fat milk, extra hot, one and a half shots decaf, two and a half shots regular, no foam latte, with whip cream, with vanilla syrup and cinnamon sprinkling for Birdman." Sam blinked in surprise at the long order and groaned when he heard the nickname. Leave it to Natasha. Everyone in the coffee shop stared at him as he went up to grab the drink. A few teenagers snickered in the back of the room. Oh, Natasha was going to pay sooner or later.

"Holy cow, this is the best coffee I've ever had," he muttered after a sip.

"Black coffee, extra shot, for Arnold Mayor." A stout man sitting near Sam got up and walked over to the counter with a confident swagger in his step. He winked at Natasha and took a sip of the piping hot liquid. Immediately, Natasha took off her apron and walked over to Sam.

"Let's go, birdie. We've gotta get out of here in the next forty five seconds." Sam stared at her for a few moments, trying to understand. "Let's go, Sam," she said coaxingly. He followed her out the back door and out onto the street. Not a few seconds later, a scream was heard from the restaurant, as well as sounds of panic.

"What'd you do to him?" he asked curiously. She shrugged.

"Just slipped a bit of poison in his coffee. I've been doing it for days now, but today was the final dose. I had to make sure he wouldn't suspect anything. Official mission and whatnot." Natasha hailed a taxi and waited patiently for it to pull up.

"So what'd you come out here for?" she asked, after they had gotten situated in the cab. Sam started to talk.

"Well, I-" The taxi driver pulled down the window and interrupted him.

"Where do you want me to take you two?" he asked and Natasha glanced at Sam.

"Uhm, how about Avengers Tower, please?" asked Sam. The driver nodded in acceptance.

"And then the airport, please," Natasha trilled in her most innocent voice. He blinked and nodded again, shutting the compartment. Sam tried once again.

"I'm planning a Thanksgiving meal for all of the team. It's going to be at Clint and Laura's place." Natasha raised an eyebrow.

"And a text or email couldn't have sufficed? I'm not saying it's not nice to see you, just you traveled all the way from the compound for that?" Sam looked at her with mock exasperation.

"And how exactly was I supposed to contact you? You change phones and emails so often, and half the time they're burner phones."

"Touché," she nodded in acceptance. Natasha considered for a second, and then nodded. "I'm in. We need a few sane people to make this work." Sam snorted.

"Oh, there's definitely a chance it's going to end catastrophically. But hey, points for trying, right?"

* * *

"Hello, this is Scott Lang. If you're interested in criminal stuff, I don't do that anymore, but I can give you a contact. Otherwise- well, not otherwise. Everyone, just leave a messa-" The voicemail system cut off Scott's rambling and proceeded with the typical instructions in the lady's mechanical voice.

"Hey, Scott, it's Sam. I was calling to ask-" The line crackled and a voice came on.

"Hey, Sam! Sorry dude, I thought you were one of my old crime buddies. I've been avoiding his calls all day. What can I do for you?" The shrieking of a young girl filled the background. "Hold on one sec." The phone was shuffled like fabric was over it. "Hey Cass! Daddy's on the phone. Could you play quietly for just a few minutes?" The phone crackled again and Scott was back. "Sorry, man." Sam chuckled. He had met Cassie Lang a few times and thought she was a wonderfully bright.

"No problem. How's Cassie doing?" Sam could almost see the way that Scott lit up by the way he spoke.

"She's doing great, actually. Just got awarded Treasurer of her third grade class." Scott laughed. "I'm not sure what that actually means, though. I mean, it's _third grade._ " Sam snorted and shook his head.

"Hey, don't knock the grade school politics. This is your second grade President speaking." Scott just "hmm"-ed in response. "Anyway, what are you guys doing for Thanksgiving?"

"Well, I was going to head over to Maggie and Jim's place, celebrate with them and Cassie. Why?" Sam could hear Scott shuffling around. After the whole fighting fiasco, Scott had moved into his own apartment in San Francisco to be close to Cassie. He worked with his own team for the most part, but once a week, Scott would fly out to New York to train with the group at the Compound.

"Well, I've been trying to get the team to eat Thanksgiving together. You want to join?" Scott sputtered for a second and Sam grinned. Even though Scott had been working with them for months, he still had to be reminded that he was actually a part of team.

"Eat Thanksgiving? With the Avengers? Uh, wow. Okay. Uh…wait, I can't leave Cassie. Yeah." Sam shrugged, regardless that Scott couldn't see him.

"Bring her. Clint's kids are going to be there. Aren't her and Lila pen pals or something?" Scott had brought Cassie over to the Barton's house during a mission at one point, and the two girls became inseparable. "Maggie and Jim would be invited too. I imagine they wouldn't want to spend Thanksgiving without Cassie either."

"No, they wouldn't," Scott agreed. "Wow, thanks, man. I'll have to ask Maggie and Jim, but I'm sure they'll say yes. Wait, is Steve going to be there? Holy….err, cow," Sam snorted at Scott's substitute (Cassie could still be heard playing in the background). "I'm going to be eating Thanksgiving dinner with Captain America. Oh my-"

"See you 'round, Scott," interrupted Sam, effectively cutting him off.

"What? Oh, yeah, see ya." The phone turned off with a satisfying "click". Slowly, the plan was coming together. Though some of the hardest were yet to come.

* * *

Sam glanced at the list he had written out. This one would take delicate planning- and if it failed, it would fail astronomically. In a couple seconds, she was supposed to come through this way on her way to lunch. Sam scanned the area anxiously, leaning against a light pole, "reading" his list. If anyone spotted him, he was in _deep_ trouble. He looked to his left and spotted her, scarf woven around her neck and trying to make her way through the crowds. Sam folded his list, trying to look inconspicuous, and tucked it into his jean pocket.

"Excuse me, pardon me, sorry, excuse me-oh! Sam! What a pleasant surprise!" Sam looked down into the face of a smiling Pepper Potts.

"Hey, Pepper. Long time, no see." She nodded slightly and motioned towards the small deli behind him.

"Here, come in with me. It's been ages since we last talked," she agreed. He followed her into the restaurant and sat down where she gestured. "So, how are you doing?" He shrugged.

"Pretty well, all things considered. And you?" She granted him a small smile and a nod.

"Same as you. I've been keeping myself quite busy." He nodded and cleared his throat as the conversation fell. "How's Steve?" she asked quietly. Sam sighed and shook his head.

"I _think_ he's doing better. So far, staying with Clint seems to be doing him some good, keeping him busy between missions." Pepper nodded in grim acceptance. "What are you doing for Thanksgiving?" he asked, trying to appear casual. She seemed to not notice and shrugged.

"Well, I planned on working, and then just celebrating at home. Maybe I'll watch the parade," Pepper admitted and Sam frowned.

"No family?" he asked curiously. In all honesty, he had never considered whether Pepper had any family in town, or living, for the matter.

"Well, my mom is in a different country. She's helping build a well in a poor country. But other than that, no one." Sam raised his eyebrows.

"Wow, that's pretty cool of her," he stated, and Pepper nodded in agreement. "But you can't spend the day alone. Not on Thanksgiving," Sam argued. She gave him a skeptical look.

"Why not?" Sam had to restrain himself at rolling his eyes. Did he not just go through this argument with Tony just a few days ago?

"Because it's Thanksgiving. It's a time to be together. Come on, Pepper, you're supposed to be the rational one." Pepper laughed and shook her head.

"And what do you propose, then?" This was it. Sam acted like he was thinking for a second.

"Well, why don't you join us for dinner?" Cue the mental wince. This was awkward. What had he been thinking? Man, why didn't he-

" 'Us?' Who are _you_ having dinner with, then?" Sam shrugged again.

"Well, I've been trying to get the whole team together. I haven't managed to get into contact with Bruce, and I have no idea how to find Thor." Pepper looked at him curiously.

"Well, it's a holiday centered around food. I'm sure Thor will show up for it if he can. Who else do you have left?" she asked. Sam pulled the list out from his pocket and read down it.

"Well, I have Rhodes, Wanda, Vision, T'Challa, Peter, Bruce, and Thor," he read. "And…I was thinking about maybe a surprise, too." Pepper thought carefully for a moment, taking a bite of her sandwich.

"So…Natasha, Clint, Steve, and Tony are going, so far," she concluded.

"Actually, it's being held at the Barton's, so Laura and the kids will be there. Scott, Jim, Maggie, and Cassie are coming, too," he added. Pepper took a deep breath. " _Please say yes, please say yes…"_ Sam mentally prayed. It would be good for Tony- all he ever did was mope in his lab, anyway. This couldn't make it much worse.

"Sure, why not. What time should I arrive? Do you want me to bring anything?" Sam smiled good-naturedly and shook his head.

"Come around five thirty-ish. And you're good, you don't have to bring anything." Pepper gave him "a look" and smiled.

"I'll bring something anyway. Nice talking to you, Sam." Sam grabbed his mostly-eaten sandwich and the wrapper.

"Nice talking to you too, Pepper. See you Thursday." With that, he threw the remains in the trash and headed for the door.

"Oh! Sam, wait!" He turned and, at her motion, came back over.

"What's up?" Pepper bit her lip, like she was debating something. Finally, she tugged a piece of paper and a pen out of her purse.

"I have a phone number for you to call. It'll get you in touch with Bruce. Don't share this with anyone, okay? This was supposed to be for emergencies only." Sam stared as she scrawled out the number and pushed the sheet towards him.

"Thanks, Pepper." He hoped she understood how much it meant to him. She just smiled secretively and waved as he headed out the door. Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as he thought.

* * *

Rhodes had been _easy_. A quick call to confirm that yes, he was free, yes, he was invited, and yes, there was food. He had been put in charge of making sure Tony actually followed through and made it to the dinner. Sam checked his name off with satisfaction.

"Alright, who's next?" he muttered to himself. A quick check to Google maps confirmed that the closest person to him. Mentally bracing himself, he headed over to the high school. The bell rang just as Sam got there, and tons of students poured out. "Great," he said under his breath. "How am I supposed to find him with all these kids?"

"Mr. Wilson!" came a shout from behind him.

"Huh," Sam said, turning around. "Problem solved." Peter Parker jogged up to him, backpack nearly slipping off.

"Uh, hey!" Peter said with excitement. "What are you doing here? Not that I don't want you to be here, or anything. I mean, I-" Sam grinned and cut him off with a wave of his hand.

"I've come to invite you and your aunt to Thanksgiving dinner," he said quickly, lowering his voice. "It's a…team event." Peter's excitement dropped.

"Aw, man. I would love to, but I've been keeping my aunt in the dark. I'm not planning on telling her anytime soon about the whole Spider-man gig." Sam sighed.

"Alright, I get it. Do you want to just stop by for a half-hour, or something? It'd be nice to have Spiderboy over for a half hour or so. Say that Tony invited you or something, since that's usually your cover." Peter lit up again.

"Hey, good idea. I'm sure I could stop by for a bit, maybe from like, six to six thirty." Sam nodded in agreement.

"We can definitely have you home by then." It was worth it, seeing the kid so happy.

"Alright! This is going to be so cool!" From a bit away, someone called out Peter's name, and he turned to look. "Aw, man, I'm gonna miss the bus. Gotta run, see you soon, Mr. Wilson!" With that, he turned and ran the opposite direction, towards the yellow school buses lining the street. Sam shook his head in amusement, pulling the baseball cap lower over his face. Only a few more people left, and the surprise… _if_ he could make it work.

* * *

Wanda and Vision were at the Compound when he got back, cooking (or attempting, on Vision's part) some cultural dish from Wanda's childhood. It would have been easy, except Sam knew the dish was entirely from Wanda's memory, not written down anywhere. Wanda and Vision had both searched for it for days, and Sam had helped, before they had finally given up. Over the past month, the two had been trying to recreate it, to no avail.

"I'm not even going to try that," Wanda said disdainfully, though amusement was written all over her face. Sam walked up to the pot they had it in and wrinkled his nose.

"I don't blame you," he said, shaking his head. "It looks like brown goop." Wanda laughed and Vision shook his head, smiling.

"How was your excursion to get Miss Potts to join the Thanksgiving dinner?" asked Vision. Sam paused, looking at him strangely.

"How'd you know?" he asked. Vision shrugged.

"I overhear things. As in, you muttering to yourself as you left this morning." Sam rolled his eyes at himself.

"Wow, okay. I should work on that." A smile and pause later, he looked at the two of them. "You guys are coming, right?" Wanda nodded vigorously.

"Oh, yes. I want to enjoy this American holiday. Pietro would have loved it. All the food," she added, a bit solemnly. Vision put a comforting hand on her shoulder and she looked at him gratefully.

"I, too, will be joining, as long as we are invited." Sam nodded reassuringly.

"Of course! Though you probably don't want to bring…whatever _that_ is," he said, gesturing to the soup-like liquid bubbling in the pot. Wanda laughed again and Sam joined her.

"Don't worry, we definitely will not."

* * *

Sam took a deep breath. Why was he so nervous? It was just a phone call.

"Make the phone call already, Wilson," he said, pacing the room. He stared at the instructions Pepper had left him after the phone number. Pressing dial, he made himself stand still and waited.

"Hello, this is Amelia, how may I help you?" asked the pleasant, female voice over the phone. Sam frowned and glanced again at the instructions.

"I need an appointment at ten with Dr. Green," he said cautiously, feeling utterly stupid.

"One moment," chirped the woman, and the on-hold beeping came on. It was a few minutes before anything happened. Sam was beginning to doubt the authenticity, when the beeping finally stopped.

"Hello?" came the hesitant voice over the speaker. Sam took a deep breath.

"Dr. Banner?" he asked formally. He and the doctor had only met a few times, at the party that Ultron crashed so many months ago and a few times before that while working with Steve to find the Winter Soldier.

"Sam?" Bruce asked, albeit cautiously. Sam cleared his throat.

"Yep, that would be me," he clarified. He could hear Bruce's hesitation and confusion through his voice.

"Is there an emergency? Nothing's been shown on the news yet." There was shuffling as Bruce got up.

"No, nothing's wrong, but it is important. Well, to me, it is. Listen, we're trying to get everyone together for Thanksgiving. I know you're off doing who-knows-what at who-knows-where, but I think we need this. It's been a long time since we did anything as a team, since the whole "let's fight each other" thing." Bruce barked a laugh and attempted to smother it.

"I don't know, Sam. I'd love to see everyone again, but I'm not sure I could handle the environment. Like you said, we haven't been together for an awfully long time. If any fights were to break out…" Bruce trailed off, but Sam knew what he meant.

"Then we'll handle it," Sam promised. "But I don't think it's going to come to that. It's Thanksgiving. We'll be eating dinner, that's all." Bruce hummed in response while thinking it over.

"Alright, fine. Only because I'm the closest I've been to New York than I've been in a long time. It'll be a few hours drive." Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I thought you were out of the country." Bruce cleared his throat.

"I, ah, have been. I came back recently to check on something." Sam didn't press; he was lucky to have gotten him to agree.

"Awesome. I'll see you then. It's at the Barton's, around five thirty." Sam smiled into the receiver.

"See you then." Before Sam could response, the man hung up. Sam got out his list and checked yet another person off. He wished there was some way to get a hold of Thor, but he would just have to hope he would show up. That left him with one more person.

* * *

"I am sorry, my friend. I am not sure I can leave Wakanda for this holiday. You see, we are negotiating a trade deal over the next few days and it is rather crucial I be here." Sam deflated. He knew that technically, T'Challa wasn't an actual member of the Avengers, but he still respected the man and wanted him to come.

"Yeah, I understand. That's pretty important. I mean, I'm not sure it's as important as _pie_ , but I get it." T'Challa's hearty laugh filled the phone line and Sam had to grin. Once the two had made amends, they had gotten along famously. Plus, Steve and Sam had spent so much time there; they had plenty of time to get to know each other, even with T'Challa's duties as King.

"I will see what I can do, Sam. If I cannot make it, save me a slice of this pie." Sam snorted and shook his head. Maybe it wasn't polite to address the king that way, but he really didn't think T'Challa minded.

"Uhm, no way. I'm eating it if there's a slice left over." Another laugh and Sam took a breath. Time to get serious. "Anyway, there's something I wanted to ask you about…"

* * *

It was officially Thanksgiving. Laura had set up an amazing feast of food, spread out along four picnic tables. The weather was actually nice, despite Laura's teasing. Sam had come earlier to help cook and set up, since it had been his idea. Since Steve and Clint were already there, the first to arrive were Wanda and Vision. She had gaped at seeing so much food in one place, looking like a kid in a candy store. Shortly after them came Scott, with Cassie, Maggie, and Jim in tow. Maggie and Jim looked a little in-awe of sitting with the Avengers (not that Scott didn't), and Cassie was extremely happy to see Lila. Natasha and Pepper showed up together, enjoying the festivities with small smiles. Tony and Rhodes came next around six, and surprisingly enough, Tony hadn't even touched a drink beforehand. Steve looked a little on-edge with so many people being around; he had grown accustomed to the quiet country life. Peter trailed in after them, following everyone around like a hyper puppy. When Bruce walked into the backyard, everyone went silent. He gave a small wave, and suddenly there was uproar of hugs, waves and handshakes. The turkey was cut soon, and after a short while, it was six thirty and Peter had to go. Tony offered to give him a ride, but he refused, saying he would "swing" home. A few minutes after Peter left, everyone jumped as a flash of light and fire appeared about a mile away. Thor appeared in the lights, much to the children's excitement. He was welcomed with open arms and merriment. Sam filled his plate with sides and walked over to where Steve was standing.

"How you liking it so far, Steve?" Steve looked uncertain, holding a plate in one hand and leaning against the small shed a few paces behind the picnic tables.

"It's nice," Steve admitted quietly. "No fighting, no obligations. Just eating and enjoying each other's company." Sam nodded. "Thanks for putting it all together, by the way." Sam smiled wryly and shrugged.

"Hey, I thought we all could use it. Besides, nothing brings people together like food." They gazed at the scene before them. The children were shrieking and running, playing tag instead of eating. The adults were laughing and talking, discussing different things and generally having a good time. "Why are you hanging back here?" Sam asked, turning his attention back to Steve. He sighed and looked down at his plate, pushing food around.

"I dunno. It's a lot of noise, I guess." Sam stared at him incredulously until Steve gave him a begrudging smile. "Alright, I'll admit, that was a lame excuse. It's just…so much has happened over the years. For a long time, I didn't have much, but we always had everything to be thankful for. It was enough to just live, to have at least one day where I wasn't sick, one day where we weren't hungry. Now days, I have so much, and…" He trailed off. "And now I know that everything can be taken away so easily, I guess." Sam sighed, looking out at the field. Still smoking from Thor's appearance, the plains stretched beyond what he could see.

"Well, I guess that's why we celebrate it every year. To celebrate the new things, and remember the old." A humming noise filled the air and an airplane appeared over their tiny feast. Everyone who wasn't in on the plan (namely, Tony, Rhodes, and Bruce) leapt up and looked ready to either run or fight.

"Relax," Clint called out over the noise. "It's just a little surprise that Sam planned for Steve." Steve looked at Sam curiously and Sam just smiled and shrugged innocently.

"Let's walk over there," he suggested, and Steve willingly followed. Once the plane was safely tucked out of sight from above, the door lowered and opened. Steve gaped and blinked rapidly.

"Bucky?" he whispered. It was indeed Bucky who was standing there, an amused look on his face.

"That would be me," he said simply, and walked down the ramp. Once he got off, Steve wrapped him up in a fierce hug.

"But…I thought…how…how are you here?" Steve finally managed out. Bucky shrugged and gestured to Sam.

"This one here thought that Thanksgiving was too important to miss, and apparently he worked something out with T'Challa," he explained. "He says hi, by the way." Sam snorted and shook his head in amusement. Steve looked ready to cry, and Bucky looked a mix of amusement and ready to cry as well.

"Hey, pie's ready!" Laura Barton's voice could be heard ringing out from where they were standing.

"Oh man. I haven't had pie in _decades_ ," Bucky said and it was Steve's turn to shake his head with a watery grin.

"Well then by all means, let's get some pie."

The dinner was wrapping up, with the eating and chatter slowing down.

"Attention, all you guys. I'm going to make a toast," Sam announced. Pepper and Tony looked up from where they were talking at the end of the table, laughing together. Cassie Lang was sitting on her father's lap, and Maggie and Jim were leaning against each other. Natasha and Bruce had been talking quietly towards the middle of the table. Wanda and Vision were near them, sometimes joining in the conversation. Steve and Bucky had been sitting at the end, just talking and relieving memories from the past. Clint and his family sat together as well, Lila and Cooper playing some hand game. Rhodes was discussing battle techniques with Thor, who was delighted to have found someone to discuss them with. Once he had everyone's attention, Sam took a deep breath. "This has been a year of change," he started. "A time of new beginnings, but a time of endings too. Some people have changed, some places have changed, some opinions have changed, and lives have been changed. But nonetheless, here we are, sitting together. We are here to enjoy one another's company, and be thankful for each other. We are also here to honor the ones that are no longer with us, and those that continue to live in our hearts." Sam took a moment to search for his next words. "We have been through so much, but we are still a team. You all went from a small, dysfunctional, arguing family to a now much larger, dysfunctional, arguing family." Laughter popped up from the tables and Sam allowed himself a smile. "But a family, no matter what happened. So here's to family. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone." Sam sat down to an echo of "to family." They were all together, despite everything, and that was what counted the most.

* * *

 ** _So, to family, whether wi_ _th_ _you, or in your heart. To family, your blood or your friends. To family, the ones you live with or the ones who simply understand you best. To family. Happy Thanksgiving to all._**


End file.
